Separable fastener



Nov. 29, 1932. I DALTQN 1,889,467 I SEPAR'ABLE FASTENER Filed Sept. 14.1951 BY/ R Patented Nov, 29, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT I OFFICE DANIELF. DALTON, OF WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO. THE SHOE HARD- WARECOMPANY, OF WATEBBURY, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUTsnrananLn ras'rnnnn Application filed September 14, 1931. Serial No.562,615.

My present invention relates'to improvements 1n separable fasteners andmore particularly to an improved means for insuring the positive andeasy opening or disengagement of the interlocking elements from eachother;

Separable fasteners as manufactured at the present day consist of a pairof corded tapes or stringers, each equipped with a plurality or seriesof interlocking elements ar- ',ranged in parallel relation with respectto each other and on the stringers is arranged a slider which in itsmovement causes the engagement .or disengagement of the series ofinterlocking elements. T Ordinarily stop members are attached to'whatmay be called the upper end of one or both of the stringers adjacent tothe top-most interlocking element thereon, and this stop member or stopmembers act ,to limit the sliding movement of the slider on thestringerin the operation of causing the engagement of the interlocking members..on the stringers. Such stop niember or stop members ordinarily have atendency to wedge within the limits of the slider and make it.extremelydiflicult to start 7 the slider in a direction to cause thedisengagement of the interlocking members. If the stop member or stopmembers are d1s- 'pensed with or if it. or they are placed too far fromthe top-most interlocking element,

all of the interlocking elements are brought into engagement witheach-other, which is the preferable arrangement,-but under thesecircumstances the top-most interlocking element ,goes into a positiondirectly beneath or in alignment with the wedge shaped frog forming a,part of the slider and 7111011 acts as a cam to cam the series-ofinterlocking elements apart. Under these circumstances, therefore, thetop-most interlocking element .acts as a stop and it is impossible tostart the slider on its disengaging movement without .manuallymanipulating the stringers to pull the top-most portion of the stringeror stringers laterally, so as to provide a .path

into which the wedge-shaped frog may be led. Also with priorarrangements 1t is 1mpossible to bring the free ends of the strlngers orthat end of the stringers beyond the stop member or members closelytogether and, therefore, it is impossible to substantlally close the gapin which the stringers and interlocking elements are placed.

As stated above the desirablecondition is when allof the interlockingelements are in and sure'opening of the stringers or the dis engagementof the interlocking elements with respect to each other. Specifically myimprovement consists in providing an element or a. plurality of elementson one or both of the stringers adjacent to the top-most interlockingelements and providing such elements or members with beveled free ends,the only requirement being that such beveled end shall lie at one sideof a line passing through the interlocked portion of the interlockingelements and the center of the frog of the, slider. it possible toalways insure that the wedge shaped frog of the slider may be moved intoposition with respect to the interlocking elements to cause thedisengagement thereof wedge-shaped This construction makes as the wedgeshaped frog engaging the beveled end of the said element or elementscauses .a lateral movement-of the portion or portions of the stringer orstringers to which 1 the same are attached and thus provide a V- shapedpath into which the wedge shaped frog of the slider may move.

The object of my invention, therefore, is an improved separable fastenerJ In the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferable embodiment of myinvention.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a separable fzistgner to which theinvention has been app m I Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Flg. 1; Fig.3 isa vertical section on the line 33 of Fig. 2, showing the slider in oneposition 100 andv Fig. 4 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3, butshowing the slider in another position.

Referring to the drawing 10 and 11 designate a pair of stringers eachprovided with a corded edge 12 and arranged on the stringer 10 is aseries 13 of interlocking elements that may be engaged with ordisengaged from a like series of interengaging elements 14 attached tothe stringer 11. The stringers 10 and 11 are attached together at theirlower ends by a clip 15. Attached to one of the stringers as thestringer 11 is a stop member 16 arranged at any convenient point abovethe top-most interlocking element of the series 14 and it is obviousthat a similar stop member may be attached to the corded edge of thestringer 10. Slidably mounted on the stringers 10 and 11 is a slider 17provided between its front and back faces 18 and 19, respectively, witha wedge shaped frog 20 and with inwardly extending flanges, as theflanges 21, defining a single channel that merges into two channels, oneon either side of the wedge shaped frog 20. If the slider 17 is movedupwardly in Fig. 1, it is obvious that the series of interlockingelements 13 and 14 will be moved downwardly relative thereto and intointerlocking position as shown in Fig. 3, so that when the slider 17 hasmoved into engagement with the stop 16, all of the interlocking elementsof the series 13 and 14 will be in engagement with each other.

Attached to the corded edge of the stringer 10 immediately above thetop-most interlocking element of the series 13 are cam members 22, theinner ends of which are beveled to form cam surfaces as shown, and thelength of the top-most member 22 is such that the bevel lies to theright of a line passing through the center of the wedge shaped frog 20and the interlocking portion of the Series of elements 13 and 14. Alsoattached to the corded edge of the stringer 11 above the top-mostinterlocking element of the series of elements 14 are cam members 23,the outer free ends of which are beveled in the same manner as the cammembers 22.

As will be seen from an inspection of Fig. 3, the top-most member 22lies either below the lower-most part of the slider 17 or in the singlechanneled portion thereof and it will be obvious that if-such slider '17is moved downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the positionshown in Fig. 4 that the wedge shaped frog 20 will engage with the bevelon the upper-most member 22 and such member 22 and also that portion ofthe corded edge of the stringer 10 to which such member 22 is attachedwill be moved laterally outward, or will be guided into the right-handfork of the passage in the slider 17. Continued movement in a downwarddirection of the slider 17 will bring the wedge shaped frog 20 intoengagement with the beveled end of the top-most member 23 on the cordededge of the stringer 11 andby referring to Fig. 4, it will be obvious.that this downward movement of the wedge shaped frog 20 will cause aseparation of the upper ends of the stringer 10 and 11, so as to bringthe wedge shaped frog 20 into such a position relative to the series ofinterlocking elements 13 and 14, as to insure a positive and easyopening of the gap to which the stringers may be attached or thedisengagement of the series of interlocking elements.

Referring again to Fig. 3, it will be obvious that the upper free endsof the stringers 10 and 11 may be brought into close association witheach other above the stop member 16 and thus practically close any gapto which the stringers 10 and 11 may be attached. Also this bringingtogether of the corded edges of the stringers 10 and 11 will have noeffect on the locking of the slider 17 as such slider does notengagewith any interlocking element until the wedge-shaped frog 20thereof has moved through a distance of practically the length of theslider.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent is:

1. The combination with a Y-channeled slider, of a pair of stringersmovable therethrough and provided with elements engageable anddisengagable by means of the slider, and means on said stringersadjacent the last, of said elements for engaging the slider to permitthe latter to he slid from complete disengagement with said elementsinto engagement therewith, said means being freely movable throughthechannels of the slider.

2. The combination with a slider having diverging channels and. a pairof stringers 1 provided with elements engageable and disengageable bythe slider, of means attached to the stringers cooperating with theslider and capable of being passed completely into the divergingchannels, for initiating separation of the elements from fullyinterlocked position on operation of the slider, and of meansindependent of the first mentioned means for stopping movement of theslider.

3. The combination vwith a slider, of a pair of stringers movabletherethrough and provided with interlocking elements and cam members .oneach stringer adjacent the endmost elements, said cam members beingfreely movable through the slider and cooperating therewith to spreadthe stringers, said cam members being spaced apart on each stringer aproximately the same distance as the interloc ing elements.

4. The combination with aslider having diverging channels and a pair ofstringers provided with elements engageable and disengageable by theslider, of means attached tothe stringers capable of being passedcompletely into said channel, and having beveled part of said slider,

ends cooperating with the slider for initiating separation of theelements from fully interlocked position on operation of the slider. 5.In a separable fastener, the combination of opposed stringers equippedwith interlocking elements, a slider having a length of strokesufiicient for completely engaging and disengaging said elements, a frogforming and threading means mounted in staggered relation on thestringers and .cooperating with the frog of the slider for initiatingseparation of the interlocking elements from fully interlocked positionon operation of the slider.

6. In a separable fastener, the combination of a pair of stringersequipped with interocking elements, a slider mounted thereon j movablealong the stringers to engage and disengage the elements, a wedgeshapedfrog 011 said slider, members secured to the stringers adjacent tothe interlocking elements and so formed and arranged with respect to thefrog as to engage therewith during its movement from free position toinitiate disengagement of the. interlocking elements from their fullyinterlocked position, and means secured to at least one of the stringersand spaced from said members for limiting movement of the slider.

7. In a separable fastener the combination of a pair of stringersarranged parallelto each other, and each equipped with a series ofinterlocking elements, the series of elements on one stringer adapted tointerlock with .the series of elements on the other stringer, a slidermounted for sliding movement on the stringers and provided with a wedgeshaped frog adapted to move the series of elements from engaging todisengaging position, and members attached to one of said stringersadjacent to the end of the seriesof elements thereon, said members beingprovided with beveled ends so positioned 'withrespect to the frog as toengage with the same upon movement of the frog from free position andthereby force the stringer laterally to initiate the disengagement of.the interlocking elements.

8. The combination with a slider having diverging channels and a pair ofstringers provided with interlocking elementsadapted to be engaged anddisengaged by theslider, of means operable by the slider forfacilitating the engagement or disengagement of the interlockingelements, said means comprising members attached to the strin ers of asize to-enter and pass through 'the ivergent channels of the slidermorereadily than the interlocking elements.

- 9. The combination with a slider having diverging channels and a pairof stringers provided with interlocking elements adapted to be engagedanddisengaged by the slider, of means operable by the'slider forfacilitating the engagement and disengagement of I the interlockingelements, said means comprising a plurality of members attached to eachstringer constructed and arranged to enter and pass through thedivergent channels of the slider and projecting a less distance fromsaid stringers than the nearest interlocking elements, said membersbeing of progressively less length in the plane of the stringers in adirection at right angles to the opposed edges of the pair of stringers.

10. The combination with a slider and a pair of stringers provided withelements completely engageable and disengageable by the slider, saidslider being movable to a position clear of said elements, of meansattached to the stringers and operable by the slider for facilitatingengagement and dis engagement of the endmost interengageable elements,said means projecting a less distance from said stringers than thenearest interengageable element.

11. The combination with a slider and a pair of stringers provided withelements completely engageable and disengageable by the slider, saidslider being movable to a posi tion clear of said elements, of meansattached to the stringers and operable by the slider for facilitatingengagement and disengagement of the endmost interengageable elements,said means being spaced from the nearest interengageable elementapproximately the same distance as the interengageable elements arespaced from each other.

12. The combination with a slider and a pair of stringers provided withelements completely engageable and disengageable by the slider, saidslider being movable to a position clear of said elements, of meansattached to the stringers and operable by the slider for facilitatingengagement and disengagement of the endmost interengageable elements,said means being approximately the same width in a direction normal tothe plane of the stringers as are the interengageable elements, andbeing secured to said stringers in ,the same way as the interengageableelements but projecting from said stringers a less distance than theinterengageable elements.

13. The combination with a slider having diverging channels and a pairof stringers provided with interlocking elements adapted to be engagedand disengaged by the slider,

of means operableby the slider for facilitatingthe engagement anddisengagement of the interlocking elements, said means comprisingmembers of less length than the interengageable elements whereby theywill enter the slider more easily and without j amming.

Signed at Waterbury; county of New Haven, State of Connecticut, this15th day of August, 1931.

' DANIEL 'F. DALTON.

Ill

